Effect of CGM in the HbA1c and Coefficient of Variation of glucose in a pediatric sample

Abstract

Aim of the study: Previous studies have found no significant improvements in glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), while using Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM), with children and adolescents. The aim of this paper is to measure the change in HbA1c, and the Coefficient of Variation in glucose levels, when using CGM, once the effect of other relevant variables, such as gender, actual age, the years the patient has had diabetes, use of an insulin pump, the presence of autoimmune disease, other associated pathologies, and weekly hours of exercise, are controlled for.

Methods: This is a retrospective study that uses a linear regression model. Data was collected from Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus (T1DM), children diagnosed between 2003 and 2017 in the Pediatric Unit for Diabetes in Zaragoza, Spain. We used a linear regression and the method of estimation is Ordinary Least Squares.

Results: Results show that the use of CGM decreased the HbA1c value by 3.5% and the Coefficient of Variation by 14%.

Conclusions: The implication of these results is that this device helped in the management of diabetes, although more research is needed to distinguish between different devices in terms of their efficacy.

Keywords: Coefficient of Variation; Continuous Glucose Monitoring; Glycosylated hemoglobin A; Linear regression model; Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus.